modifying a turntable

[fmblizz]

JAS Antique Phonographs has nice reproduction turntables at reasonable prices.

They are easily swapped out and you would still maintain it's originality. Too me it would be a selling point and add to the value of the machine. The abilitly to play both type records and the low cost for the new turntable would probably net a gain for you if you sold it.

Once it's altered you can't go back

Blizz

[VintageTechnologies]

I got this Aretino that I'd like to turn the spindle down so I can play those thick Edisons. [Relax, I'm just yanking yer chain!]

[alang]

I finally found an unmolested turntable for my United Symphony. Not an expensive machine, but without the thick spindle it's lost everything special about it.
Andreas

[Phonofreak]

What I did for my odd spindled machines, was to get a turntable with the regular spindle hole. The spindle hole is ¼". I take a short piece of ¼" rod about ¾" long and press fit into the hole. It works fine. That way you can take out the rod when you need the turntable for another machine. The odd spindled turn table will be unmolested. As another poster stated before, JAS antiques has replica turn tables. Then you can use the rod.
Harvey Kravitz

[scullylathe]

First, Standard, Busy Bee, Aretino and Universal records and machines are fairly easy to locate, if you take your time and be patient. Second, if someone at a show, eBay or otherwise were to offer me a) regular records drilled or b) a machine that had been "modified" (e.g. Busy Bee "key" ground off or the Standard/United/Aretino, etc. center pin changed for "normal" records) that is destroying the originality of any machine designed by the original manufacturer.

Please don't destroy the originality of these "oddball" machines. Would anyone else on this forum cut off a Columbia 20th Century cylinder that was in good, playable condition, just to make it fit on an Edison machine? I don't think so. Having started collecting in the 1970's, it baffles me that people in 2013 won't do their homework and study WHAT they have, what the ORIGINAL state the technology was in when it was new, and why, which is what makes it of interest/worth in this day and age. Sorry for the rant but please, know what you're finding and WHY it was made that way.

[Wolfe]

If you "just can't afford" the proper item and want to try to profit from supplying an 'oddball' machine with "a set of playable records" - you're an idiot. Sorry!! Plain and simple. STOP DESTROYING THINGS - PLEASE. Would anyone else on this forum cut off a Columbia 20th Century cylind

It's obvious that the thread starter is just looking for attention. So how about moving on?

[Henry]

What I did for my odd spindled machines, was to get a turntable with the regular spindle hole. The spindle hole is ¼". I take a short piece of ¼" rod about ¾" long and press fit into the hole. It works fine. That way you can take out the rod when you need the turntable for another machine. The odd spindled turn table will be unmolested. As another poster stated before, JAS antiques has replica turn tables. Then you can use the rod.
Harvey Kravitz

This is exactly what us old-timers did to play 45 rpm records on our "hi-fi" turntables. You could buy a little plastic adapter for the huge center hole in the 45, and it would then fit onto the ¼" spindle. In fact, my Pioneer PL-112D turntable came with such an adapter. Conversely, the RCA 45 players had a removable 45 spindle that allowed you to play regular records on its ¼" spindle. I never owned one of these, but they come up on eBay quite often.